Chapter 636: Scorn
Chapter 636: Scorn
Lu Jiaxin's arrangement was for Lu Hongjun to stay at the Yanghe Nursing Home for rehabilitation and to pick him up the afternoon before the engagement. If he wished, he could continue his rehabilitation at the nursing home after the engagement banquet, or he could return to Si Jiucheng with Lu Dashao and the others.
Lu Hongjun was taken aback. "You don't want me to come back?"
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Dad, I'm just thinking about your health. Staying here for rehabilitation will help you recover faster."
Lu Ping really wanted to go out, but he didn't dare to say so, feeling tortured every second.
Lu Hongjun was very sad. "Jiaxin, do you really despise me that much?"
Instead of answering, Lu Jiaxin asked, "What were your thoughts when you woke up in the hospital and found yourself lying in bed, unable to move?"
Lu Hongjun remained silent, just staring at her.
Lu Jiaxin looked at him and said, "Your head was splitting with pain, and you couldn't move your body. Didn't you want to tear Huang Xiaoyu into a thousand pieces at that moment? And you must have hated Tang Sufeng as well. So, you asked Lu Jiajie to find someone shady to take her to Pengcheng and let her fall into ruin. This must have been more satisfying than killing her directly."
Lu Hongjun did not deny it.
Lu Jiaxin scoffed and said, "If you hate Huang Xiaoyu and Tang Sufeng so much yourself, how can you expect me to forgive you?"
"I passed out after crashing into a wall while trying to escape. When I woke up, I was lying in a pool of blood and couldn't get up. It just so happened that it was pouring rain, and I was in a dead-end alley. My cries for help were drowned out by the sound of the rain. To survive, I had to crawl out of the alley step by step. Luckily, I made it to the mouth of the alley and saw Xue Mao, who didn't just stand by and brought me back."
After finishing, she looked at Lu Hongjun and said, "In the middle of the night, I developed a high fever. But Xue Mao was so poor that he couldn't even afford to eat, let alone have the money to send me to the hospital. I had to endure it."
Lu Hongjun mumbled, "I didn't know. You didn't tell me."
Still shifting the blame even now, he was truly hopeless. Fortunately, she wasn't the original soul. Lu Jiaxin said, "After enduring the high fever, I had to rest and recover. I had lost too much blood and was physically weak, barely able to walk. But Xue Mao had to go out and carry packages to earn money, or else we would starve. So even though I was dizzy and my vision was blurred, I had to get up and cook sweet potatoes."
The original soul had crashed into the wall and fallen to the ground. When she passed out and died, it was her who woke up and endured the suffering. The jade pendant had been exchanged for food, and life wasn't as miserable as the original soul described, but there was definitely more bitterness and hardship.
Lu Ping was shocked. He only knew that his aunt had almost been killed by the mother and daughter of the Ding family, but he had never imagined that it had been so dire at that time.
Lu Jiaxin said, "I spent over a month in the ancient capital, plotting my return to Si Jiucheng to take revenge on Ding Jing and Zhao Siyu. But you repeatedly obstructed me and tried to downplay the whole incident."
Knowing that he was in the wrong, Lu Hongjun remained silent.
Lu Jiaxin scoffed and said, "Considering that you gave birth to me and raised me, I will ensure that you have a comfortable life for the rest of your days. But if you think you can stay here and be the grand patriarch, that's impossible."
Not only was he not allowed to stay at the Lu residence, but he also wouldn't be permitted to stay at the Repulse Bay mansion. She would not let Lu Hongjun remain in Hong Kong. The original soul might have forgiven him, but she wouldn't.
Lu Hongjun fell silent and said, "Then go ahead and admit me to the hospital."
Lu Jiaxin instructed her secretary to handle the hospital admission and then asked Lu Ping whether he wanted to return home or stay at the hospital to take care of Lu Hongjun. She would only need to spare an afternoon to accompany him for the check-up and rehabilitation, as she was tired and needed to rest.
Without hesitation, Lu Ping chose to stay and take care of his father. Being a medical student himself, it would be a good opportunity to observe the procedures and practices of the hospitals in Hong Kong.
The service at the Yanghe Hospital was top-notch, and Lu Jiaxin didn't need to give any instructions. After informing Lu Ping to contact her if there were any issues, she left.
After seeing Lu Ping off, Lu Ping returned to the hospital room and found Lu Hongjun sitting there in silence. He poured a glass of water for Lu Hongjun and said, "Uncle, I saw some equipment that I hadn't seen before when you were doing your rehabilitation earlier. This hospital is definitely one of the best in Hong Kong."
After taking a few sips of water, Lu Hongjun asked in a low voice, "Ping Ping, don't you think Third Uncle was too heartless back then?"
Lu Ping thought that it wasn't so much heartlessness as it was being bewitched, but he couldn't say that directly to his elder.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Ping said, "Uncle, if I were in your shoes and treated that way, I would probably take my revenge and then leave, never to return. Your sister-in-law may not have forgiven you, and her words may be harsh, but she did what needed to be done. If not for her intervention in your legal case, you would be in prison right now."
Hanging his head low, Lu Hongjun softly replied, "It was my fault first and foremost. I can't blame your aunt."
Lu Ping silently disagreed, thinking that Lu Hongjun didn't deserve her forgiveness. "Uncle, just focus on your rehabilitation here, and I can also take this opportunity to learn more," he said.
According to his teacher, he was still at the beginner level and had much to learn.
"Alright," Lu Hongjun agreed.
Nie Zhan had finished work early and brought a variety of tonics to the Lu residence. When the butler informed him that Lu Jiaxin wasn't home and that Lu Jiajie was in the backyard garden, he immediately made his way there.
As he approached, Nie Zhan saw Lu Jiajie lying in a hammock with a book covering her face. He walked over, and as the book was moved aside, he realized that Lu Jiajie had fallen asleep.
After gently waking her up, Nie Zhan smiled and asked, "Why are you sleeping here? It's windy, and you might catch a cold."
Lu Jiajie thought her body was stronger than that. She checked her watch and saw that it was only 4:30 in the afternoon. "Why are you back so early?" she asked.
"I was thinking about Dad being home, so I came back early to keep you company," Nie Zhan explained. "But I just heard from Butler Meng that Father-in-law went to the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital and hasn't returned yet."
Lu Jiajie nodded. "Yes, I asked him to stay there for rehabilitation. After one session, the doctor said that with his condition, he should recover after three months of treatment. So, if he starts now, he'll be ready by the end of the year."
Nie Zhan understood that she didn't want to spend the Chinese New Year with Lu Hongjun. He tentatively suggested, "How about we go and visit him after dinner?"
Lu Jiajie wasn't keen on the idea. "We can just give him a call after dinner to check on him. It takes more than two hours to get there and back, and it's exhausting."
Hearing this, Nie Zhan decided to visit the next day at lunchtime. He wouldn't be able to see him in the morning anyway due to the rehabilitation session, so lunchtime would be perfect.
Noticing his expression, Lu Jiajie pondered for a moment before saying, "Before we came back, you gave him 20,000 Hong Kong dollars. He spent 5,000 and gave Lu Ping 10,000."
Nie Zhan believed that once he had given the money to Lu Hongjun, it was up to him how he spent it, and he wouldn't interfere.
Lu Jiajie wasn't concerned about the money itself but didn't want Nie Zhan to feel sorry for Lu Hongjun. "Did you know? He used to plan for your eldest uncle and fifth uncle to take care of him in his old age, so he treated them especially well."
Nie Zhan was aware that the preference for sons over daughters was more pronounced in the mainland, while Hong Kong was relatively more progressive in that regard. "How can nephews and nieces ever be as important as one's own children?"
"I'm a daughter, and I will marry one day. Once I marry into another family, I will become someone else's person. He wanted me to marry into a prestigious family so that not only would he be taken care of in his old age, but he could also pull some strings for your eldest uncle and fifth uncle."
Nie Zhan's expression turned sour.
Lu Jiajie smiled and said, "You don't have to be too nice to him. He's an expert at climbing the social ladder, so just maintain a decent relationship on the surface."
"I understand," Nie Zhan replied.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
